trip to the desert islands of Baja california Sur...time to connect with Nature...and find some peace and energies in this pristine environment...a great opportunity to explore more of this beautiful peninsula of Baja California, seen from the islands.
Isla San jose is situated North of La Paz, passed Espiritu Santo, there are no inhabitants and it is 15 miles long. To get there, you have to drive a 70 mile dirt road from La Paz to arrive at San Evaristo, a fishing camp....5 hours of rough road in the 4-wheel drive truck...a great beginning of the adventure !! I had visited San Evaristo last yearand I loved the shape of this tiny bay, perfectly protected from the North winds. Isla San Jose is in front of San Evaristo - you have to cross a 6 mile channel to get to the island....this island caught my attention last year because it is not inhabited, it has a lot of mountains, and it was inviting me to go visit !...but last year, I did not have a boat to cross the channel so I stayed in San Evaristo.
When i arrived to San evaristo, I got my eyes on the channel and the miles that were separating me from the island...this time I took a ocean kayak along and enough food and water to stay on the island. For the first crossing, I decided to go without equipment, with an empty kayak and try it in the water, with the wind and sea conditions....from 8 am, the wind started to pick and I had to pay close attention to the waves and how was the wind increasing...It took 2 hours to cross to the island...
I spent the day on the island...I had never been so close to its mountains and I felt a strong energy when I discovered the place, the whihte sandy beaches, the mountains covered with cardon cactus, the water with the delicate tones of the Sea Of Cortez...turquoise to deep blue...a enchanting spot I had to leave with the hope to come back the day after....the wind had died by then and the paddle back to San Evaristo was pleasant...
The next day...I loaded the kayak : the sea was a bit rough, quite rougher than the day before and at the moment when you pass the point and face the channel and have to decide to make the crossing, I had a moment of doubt...a long moment of doubt...I made up my mind and started to paddle, up wind, cautiously, thinking I could always come back if it would get too complicated...It is a hard decision to take...At the beginning, it was ok, really concentrated not ot miss a wave and flip the kayak in the middle of the channel..the wind was growing a bit and at the middle of the channel, where there are no protection from land, it was coming from all part...lot of water...but manageable...no point of turning around...I felt I would receive a message, a sign somewher eon the way, showing me what to do....after 2 hours, I saw the tip of the fin of a shark surfing on a wave, maybe 30 feet away...that was the sign...I had to get quick to the island...it would be my shelter for the next days...
Three hours after setting off, I took land in Isla San Jose...no rest during the crossing...constant paddling, keep a close eye on the wave and where the wind was pushing me and trying to keep the kayak stable...I found a perfect spot behind a small sand dune, protected from the wind and with plenty of wood for a nice fireplace...sea on one side, mountain and desert on the other side...a perfect spot to enjoy the stary nights of Baja California
I spent the next days snorkeling, finding nice reefs around the island...i took a day to climb up the mountains...I walked up a huge arroyo and followed it for hours until the top of a mountain where I could see both sides of the island...My island !!!....an extended space I could enjoy by myself, a perfect place to be in harmony with Nature, think, medidate, live with the Sun...walk on the beaches...
I stayed 5 days on the island...until I ran out of fresh water...it was the only reason to come back...otherwise, i would still be there....under this marvelous sun, enjoying the loneliness of these spaces, the strength of the light, the generosity of Nature...the last day, I got another message...I saw the first whale of the season...last time I saw one was in Alaska...a new circle is beginning...the arrival of the whales is an important date and they are good signs....a new stage, finally, maybe this is what I came to find on the Isla San Jose....thanks to the traveling whale....
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